June 2008 Photos

Field and Swamp: Animals and Their Habitats

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Archived-by-Date Pages

June 2008

Durham, NC 6/30/08

Unusually colored Yellow and Black Argiope. May be a recent molt. Velvet mite Robber Fly Ambush Bug, about 2 mm long Springtail (Tomocerus genus (maybe), Tomoceridae family), Durham, 6/30/08. This springtail was 2 or 3 mm long. ID thanks to Frans Janssen.

Might be a Grape Rootworm beetle. There were a lot of Wild Grape vines in the general area. Acanaloniid planthopper nymph Adult barklouse /barkfly (Graphopsocus cruciatus, Psocoptera order). Order ID thanks to v belov. Another view of this adult barklouse. It was about 2 mm long. They spin webs on leaf surfaces with a simple criss-cross pattern. Leafhopper (Graphocephala versuta)

Durham, NC, 6/29/08

Common Sanddragon

Ft. Fisher Aquarium, New Hanover County, NC 6/26/08

The Wood Duck, fish, and turtles were captive animals here; all the others were visitors. There were numerous male Golden-winged Skimmers and Four-spotted Pennants in a large pond outside the aquarium; the former were constantly fighting over positions on dead Lotus flower stalks.

Nonbreeding male Wood Duck Shark Blowfish

Male Golden-winged Skimmer Male Golden-winged Skimmer. Photo taken by Karl D. Gottschalk. Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida) Blue Dasher Young adult male Eastern Pondhawk

Very young Yellowbelly Slider, sitting on top of a faded, upended Lotus flower. Male Boat-tailed Grackle Cuckoo Wasp

Lake Park, Carolina Beach, New Hanover County, NC 6/25/08

This series of pictures shows what seems to be a decision-making process among some ducks (a male Mallard, a Blue Swede, and two white domestic breed ducks), with the passive participation of a Swan Goose.

The original plan seemed to be to march east. The ducks are quacking together. This really looks like a discussion, but note that the Swan Goose seems to be left out. Final checking for agreement?

All marching west, with the mallard in the lead. More marching Finally, the Swan Goose falls to the rear, emitting pitiful-sounding wails.

Lots of Mallard families: the males seem to drop out of the picture, which is probably best considering their coloring (in contrast to the situation with geese).

Mallard duckling Adult male Mallard. Unusual head feathers suggest he's not quite mature. One Mallard family Another Mallard family

Two very good-looking birds often taken for granted

Male Boat-tailed Grackle Rock Dove

Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC 6/25/08

Southern Pearly Eye Palamedes Swallowtail, photo by Karl D. Gottschalk Six-lined Racerunner Golden Silk Spider Jumping spider

Antlion (Vella americanum), between 2 and 3 inches long. Great camouflage! I saw the antlion flying to the tree, its wings sparkling in the sun. Hanging-thief (Diogmites genus). A kind of robber fly. Male Horace's Duskywing Mystery wasp

Ft. Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC 6/24/08

Northern Mockingbird. Photo by Karl D. Gottschalk Bee fly (Exoprosopa fascipennis) Bee fly (Chrysanthrax cypris) Robber fly (Laphystia litoralis, subfamily Laphystiinae). Robber fly (Laphystia litoralis, subfamily Laphystiinae). This fly turned around to look at me when I was taking photos; I'd thought only birds had that curiosity.

White Ibis Green Ground Beetle (Chlaenius sericeus), maybe 3 mm long, showed up on car. Male Golden Silk Spider White-scaled Flower Weevil Rhopalid bug (about 2 mm long), showed up on car.

Twelve-spotted Tiger Beetle Tiger beetle (Cicindela marginata). ID thanks to Skip Blanchard. Juniper Hairstreak, apparently had seen some big action. Mint condition Juniper Hairstreak. Photo by Karl D. Gottschalk.

Durham, NC 6/23/08

Great Crested Flycatcher Young male Eastern Bluebird Same bird Brown Stinkbug Stilt-legged Fly, apparently drinking water from bubbles

Common Garter Snake, Durham, NC, 6/23/08 Same snake Pearl Crescent Japanese Beetle. Note the lamellate antennae, a distinguishing characteristic of scarab beetles.

Eno River State Park, Old Cole Mill Rd. access, 6/21/08

Clear-winged moth (Sesiidae family), maybe Peachtree Borer Acanaloniid planthopper nymph Spotless Ladybug Beetle (Cycloneda munda) Sawfly (Blennocampinae subfamily, Tenthredidinae family). See other Hymenoptera order members.

Asian Multi-colored Ladybug Beetle, with what's apparently a small insect on top. Bee Assassin. See other true bugs.

Johnston Mill, Orange County, NC

Blowfly Northern Pearly Eye Leaf beetle (Babia quadriguttata) Robber fly

Treehopper (Acutalis tartarea) Moth

Durham, NC 6/17/08

Mating flower flies (Toxomerus genus) in flight Same flower flies Wheel Bug nymph Spotted Ladybug Beetle (Coleomegilla maculata)

Mystery wasp Billbug Rhopalid bug Leafhopper (Deltocephalus sonorus) and exuvia

Buffalo Treehopper Leafhopper nymph

Durham, NC 6/15/08

Jumping spider Leafhopper (Osbornellus genus). Photo taken at night. Billbug, a kind of weevil. See other beetles. Wedge-shaped beetle Ichneumonid wasp

Scarab beetle Billbug Discarded spider exoskeleton: you can see the black fangs protruding from the red chelicerae. Scarab beetle

Spider Mealy Plum Aphid, found in group on cattails in marsh fronting my local swamp Adult and nymph Mealy Plum Aphids Mealy Plum Aphids

Mystery caterpillar

Durham, NC 6/13/08

Acanaloniid planthopper nymph, about 1 mm long Negro Bug, 1 or 2 mm long Small spider, probably Neoscona genus orb weaver. Net-winged beetle, about 1 inch long

Flatid Planthopper nymph

Durham, NC 6/11/08

Male Brown-head Cowbird Female Brown-headed Cowbird Brown-headed Cowbirds

Backswimmer. This bug showed up on the edge of a dried-up creek in a heavily wooded area. Backswimmer, another view (in retreat). See other true bugs. Crayfish, heavily image-processed.
See other crustaceans. Wheel Bug nymph, definitely not well-fed, another sign of drought.

Net-winged beetle (Calopteron reticulatum) Bee fly, maybe Anthrax aterrimus

Durham, NC 6/10/08

Flower Longhorn Beetle (Strangalia sexnotata) Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus). See butterfly index. Black soldier fly Noctuid moth

Durham, NC 6/9/08

muscid fly Mating flower flies (Toxomerus genus) Leaffooted bug

Durham, NC 6/8/08

Brown Thrasher. See other birds.

Fowler's Toad Mating soldier flies maybe

Durham, NC 6/7/08

Fresh-water crayfish, seen in muddy water several inches deep, image processed to make it easier to see. Probably a Gray Treefrog (recent metamorph) Cuckoo Wasp Mystery beetle, seen in marsh on grass.

Dog Tick. Though we are often reminded that the Deer Tick is smaller, we need to remember that Dog Ticks are also very small and easily overlooked! A real mystery! Too big for an egg (~1 mm long), maybe, and it seems to have legs. I'm not putting down money on any ID! Window-winged Moth (Thyris maculata)

Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, NC 6/4/08

Spotless Ladybug Beetle, Cycloneda genus Warty Leaf Beetle Weevil Little Wood Satyr. Look up other butterflies.

Longhorn beetle Another longhorn beetle Jumping spider Zabulon Skipper Casebearer beetle Mystery beetle

Mystery spider Tumbling flower beetle

Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC 6/3/08

Little Wood Satyr. See other woods butterflies. See Butterfly Index. Long-legged fly White-lined Burrowing Bug Eight-spotted Forester moth Immature Eastern Pondhawk. Photo taken by Karl D. Gottschalk.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by Dorothy Pugh. All rights reserved. Please contact for rights to use photos.


Unusually colored Yellow and Black Argiope. May be a recent molt.	Velvet mite	Robber Fly	Ambush Bug, about 2 mm long	Springtail (Tomocerus genus (maybe), Tomoceridae family), Durham, 6/30/08. This springtail was 2 or 3 mm long. ID thanks to Frans Janssen.


Might be a Grape Rootworm beetle. There were a lot of Wild Grape vines in the general area.	Acanaloniid planthopper nymph	Adult barklouse /barkfly (Graphopsocus cruciatus, Psocoptera order). Order ID thanks to v belov.	Another view of this adult barklouse. It was about 2 mm long. They spin webs on leaf surfaces with a simple criss-cross pattern.	Leafhopper (Graphocephala versuta)


Male Golden-winged Skimmer	Male Golden-winged Skimmer. Photo taken by Karl D. Gottschalk.	Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida)	Blue Dasher	Young adult male Eastern Pondhawk


Very young Yellowbelly Slider, sitting on top of a faded, upended Lotus flower.	Male Boat-tailed Grackle	Cuckoo Wasp


The original plan seemed to be to march east. The ducks are quacking together.	This really looks like a discussion, but note that the Swan Goose seems to be left out.	Final checking for agreement?


All marching west, with the mallard in the lead.	More marching	Finally, the Swan Goose falls to the rear, emitting pitiful-sounding wails.


Mallard duckling	Adult male Mallard. Unusual head feathers suggest he's not quite mature.	One Mallard family	Another Mallard family


Southern Pearly Eye	Palamedes Swallowtail, photo by Karl D. Gottschalk	Six-lined Racerunner	Golden Silk Spider	Jumping spider


Antlion (Vella americanum), between 2 and 3 inches long. Great camouflage! I saw the antlion flying to the tree, its wings sparkling in the sun.	Hanging-thief (Diogmites genus). A kind of robber fly.	Male Horace's Duskywing	Mystery wasp


Northern Mockingbird. Photo by Karl D. Gottschalk	Bee fly (Exoprosopa fascipennis)	Bee fly (Chrysanthrax cypris)	Robber fly (Laphystia litoralis, subfamily Laphystiinae).	Robber fly (Laphystia litoralis, subfamily Laphystiinae). This fly turned around to look at me when I was taking photos; I'd thought only birds had that curiosity.


White Ibis	Green Ground Beetle (Chlaenius sericeus), maybe 3 mm long, showed up on car.	Male Golden Silk Spider	White-scaled Flower Weevil	Rhopalid bug (about 2 mm long), showed up on car.


Twelve-spotted Tiger Beetle	Tiger beetle (Cicindela marginata). ID thanks to Skip Blanchard.	Juniper Hairstreak, apparently had seen some big action.	Mint condition Juniper Hairstreak. Photo by Karl D. Gottschalk.


Great Crested Flycatcher	Young male Eastern Bluebird	Same bird	Brown Stinkbug	Stilt-legged Fly, apparently drinking water from bubbles


Common Garter Snake, Durham, NC, 6/23/08	Same snake	Pearl Crescent	Japanese Beetle. Note the lamellate antennae, a distinguishing characteristic of scarab beetles.


Clear-winged moth (Sesiidae family), maybe Peachtree Borer	Acanaloniid planthopper nymph	Spotless Ladybug Beetle (Cycloneda munda)	Sawfly (Blennocampinae subfamily, Tenthredidinae family). See other Hymenoptera order members.


Asian Multi-colored Ladybug Beetle, with what's apparently a small insect on top.	Bee Assassin. See other true bugs.


Blowfly	Northern Pearly Eye	Leaf beetle (Babia quadriguttata)	Robber fly


Mating flower flies (Toxomerus genus) in flight	Same flower flies	Wheel Bug nymph	Spotted Ladybug Beetle (Coleomegilla maculata)


Mystery wasp	Billbug	Rhopalid bug	Leafhopper (Deltocephalus sonorus) and exuvia


Jumping spider	Leafhopper (Osbornellus genus). Photo taken at night.	Billbug, a kind of weevil. See other beetles.	Wedge-shaped beetle	Ichneumonid wasp


Scarab beetle	Billbug	Discarded spider exoskeleton: you can see the black fangs protruding from the red chelicerae.	Scarab beetle


Spider	Mealy Plum Aphid, found in group on cattails in marsh fronting my local swamp	Adult and nymph Mealy Plum Aphids	Mealy Plum Aphids


Acanaloniid planthopper nymph, about 1 mm long	Negro Bug, 1 or 2 mm long	Small spider, probably Neoscona genus orb weaver.	Net-winged beetle, about 1 inch long


Male Brown-head Cowbird	Female Brown-headed Cowbird	Brown-headed Cowbirds


Backswimmer. This bug showed up on the edge of a dried-up creek in a heavily wooded area.	Backswimmer, another view (in retreat). See other true bugs.	Crayfish, heavily image-processed. See other crustaceans.	Wheel Bug nymph, definitely not well-fed, another sign of drought.


Net-winged beetle (Calopteron reticulatum)	Bee fly, maybe Anthrax aterrimus


Flower Longhorn Beetle (Strangalia sexnotata)	Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus). See butterfly index.	Black soldier fly	Noctuid moth


muscid fly	Mating flower flies (Toxomerus genus)	Leaffooted bug


Fresh-water crayfish, seen in muddy water several inches deep, image processed to make it easier to see.	Probably a Gray Treefrog (recent metamorph)	Cuckoo Wasp	Mystery beetle, seen in marsh on grass.


Dog Tick. Though we are often reminded that the Deer Tick is smaller, we need to remember that Dog Ticks are also very small and easily overlooked!	A real mystery! Too big for an egg (~1 mm long), maybe, and it seems to have legs. I'm not putting down money on any ID!	Window-winged Moth (Thyris maculata)